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On September 20, the Center for a New American Security hosted a roundtable discussion with Dr. Kemal Kerkuki and a number of his colleagues on the U.S.-Iraqi relationship and the future of the Kurdistan regional government’s domestic and foreign policies.

Dr. Kerkuki emphasized the need for a continued American military presence in Iraq in order to quell any potential internal violence among sectarian groups and terrorists. Dr. Kerkuki identified territorial disputes, the integration of Kurdistan’s local military force, the peshmerga, into the Iraqi military, and the legislative implementations of Article 140 and the Law of Oil and Gas as critical to the Kurdish government in Iraq. Dr. Kerkuki maintained throughout the meeting that the Kurdistan regional government has worked to actively promote democratic principles and looks to the U.S. as a major long-term economic partner and ally.